


Deserving Better

by Diary



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bechdel Test Fail, Book 1: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Conversations, Gen, Gen Fic, Good Slytherins, Hogwarts First Year, POV Filius Flitwick, POV Male Character, POV Nonhuman, Slytherins Being Slytherins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2016-09-30
Packaged: 2018-08-18 18:29:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8171585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: Repost. Flitwick and Snape talk after the end of the year feast in PS. Complete.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Harry Potter.

A noise catches Filius Flitwick's ears. "Hello?"

The strange noises stop.

Filius looks around. Eventually, he sees a shadowy movement under the bleachers. Walking over and lighting his wand, he says, "Hello, little one. You know it's past curfew.”

He comes face-to-face with Millicent Bulstrode, a big, sturdy girl with a loose plait and obviously tear-stained face, still in her school robes. "Oh," he says. "What's wrong, my dear?"

Aside from a scowl, she doesn’t answer.

"Come along," he says.

Once they get to his office, he hands her a cup of hot chocolate and pushes a bowl of marshmallows over. She promptly sets the cup down.

From his stack of pillows, he says, "Now, I'm sorry you're distressed, my dear, but surely, you know being out after curfew is a serious matter."

Her scowl deepens.

"Would you prefer I get Professor Snape?"

"Yes," is her blunt, flat answer.

He feels himself wince. Everyone says he's much too soft with the students, but Filius encourages his House to form bonds with the other professors, especially the other Heads, and he tries to form bonds with students outside of his own House. It always hurts a bit when a student would clearly rather deal with Severus or Minerva than him, despite his reputation of being easier to persuade into forgoing punishment.

Filius is aware of such a reputation and tries his best to both encourage and live up to it. Children need guidance and boundaries, but they also need freedom to develop and authority figures they can trust to listen and help rather than simply dictate and assume they know what's best.

"Very well." He enchants a quill to write a quick note and sends its off. "He'll be here shortly."  

Shortly, as it turns out, is an understatement.

Less than five minutes later, there's a sharp rap on the door.

"Hello, Severus," Filius greets.

"Professor Flitwick," Severus irritably greets. "Miss Bulstrode, return to the Slytherin dungeon at once. The Bloody Baron has been instructed to alert me if you aren't there within ten minutes."

Wordlessly, the girl leaves.

Severus sighs. "Thank you, Filius. Albus's change of plans earlier has caused several incidents of misbehaviour. I might have to assign a House-wide detention for the first week of next year."

Motioning for him to sit, Filius withdraws a bottle of firewhiskey, pours a small cup, and floats it over. "Change of plans?"

Sipping, Severus gives a tired nod. "The House cup. I foolishly told my students they were the winners. Miss Bulstrode has been having her meals delivered to her room since the second or third week of the year. She was- rather excited. I shouldn't have assumed she was running off to the dungeon."

"Oh, dear," Filius says.

He hadn't stopped to think, but of course, the Slytherin children must be heartbroken. Why hadn't he stopped to think? To have something promised, to have worked hard to earn it, and then, to have it snatched away.

All too often, he's found himself in that exact situation, and he should have recognised it immediately. When he was a student, many of his classmates, including his own housemates, would get credit for doing the things same things he did, or worse, for the things he did with no credit going to him. His protests where often ignored.

He's been denied things he deserved while those undeserving where granted them.

His grandfather was goblin, and there were questions of whether his mother and he should be allowed to own a wand and attend Hogwarts. He was often painfully shy and unwilling to defend himself in his youth, and people took advantage of this, too. It took a long time and many painful struggles for him to make a life not filled with those who looked down on him and attempted to deny him his rights. 

"Don't be soft, Filius," Severus says. "I don't like it, but Albus has done them a favour. Merlin brought honour to the House, but ever since the Dark Lord-" Filius lets out a squeak at remembering how he'd had tea with the man several times during the year -"was discovered to be one of ours, we're right back to where we started after Salazar left. The children must learn, now, that being targeted is no excuse for misbehaviour. They will only sabotage themselves if they give in to anger and bitterness."

"Severus," he scolds, "I know you won't like this, but I still maintain you wouldn't have made some of the mistakes you did if professors were more sympathetic to you. We both know Miss Bulstrode's genetic makeup. She's the first in her family to attend Hogwarts, let alone own a wand. Naturally, she was proud and excited of her hardworking and good behaviour being acknowledged. Think how proud her grandmother and mother would have been! Your poor children. I wish Albus had mentioned this- perhaps, if one of us had foreseen the painful implications-"

"It wouldn't have mattered," Severus replies. "Gryffindor is his House, Minerva is one of his closest friends, and Mister Potter is- well, Harry Potter." Sighing, he stands up. "I remember your kindness towards me, Filius. Even after I lost my friendship to Lily, you never gave up. After my defection, you were the first to truly try to make me feel at home. But let me handle my House as I see fit. Miss Bulstrode is always going to be a lonely, discriminated creature, facing a life of injustice, and she can either learn to rise above the hatred and find her own path by refusing to let others force her into a self-fulfilling prophecy, or she can turn into a Dark witch. I'd prefer not to see yet another blight on my House happen. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Filius softly says.

Severus leaves.

He looks sadly at the cup of hot chocolate and determines, starting right now, he must make more of an effort with the Slytherin children. He doesn't want to see another Dark witch or wizard happen, either, but, more than this, he doesn't want a school of lonely, discriminated children. They deserve better.  


End file.
